생화학분자생물학회

	Name: Youngkyu Jeon ( youngkyu.jeon@nih.gov )
	2023-present	Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Targets Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA
	2022-2023	Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
	2016-2022	PhD, MS, School of Biological Sciences, Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
	2015-2016	MS, School of Biological Sciences, Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

The multiple layers of RNA response in double-strand break repair

RNA molecules are now recognized as active regulators of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. In end-joining pathways, nascent transcripts promote repair through RNA:DNA hybrids, end bridging, and RNA-templated synthesis. In homologous recombination (HR), RNA:DNA hybrids modulate DNA end resection, recruit repair factors, and enable RNA-templated repair, with DNA polymerase ζ emerging as a key reverse transcriptase in this process. Transcription at DSB sites generates regulatory RNAs that further influence pathway choice and repair fidelity. Long non-coding RNAs, RNA-binding proteins, and RNA modifications add additional control layers. Advances in genomic mapping, reporter assays, and in vitro methods are now dissecting these complex RNA-mediated processes, although important challenges remain in capturing their full kinetics and contributions. Finally, RNA-templated genome editing platforms, such as prime editing, harness these principles for precise, programmable DNA repair. Together, these findings position RNA as a multifunctional player in genome maintenance and engineering.


Exp Mol Med. 2025 Nov;57(11):2429-2439. doi: 10.1038/s12276-025-01572-4.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41258079/